1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display device, an image display method and a digital camera, and in particular, to an image display device and method in which an image is displayed on the basis of image data and then the image display device is switched so as to display another image, and to a digital camera equipped with such an image display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, liquid crystal display devices have been known as image display devices for displaying images on the basis of image data. There are the following two types of liquid crystal display devices. The first type of liquid crystal display device illuminates auxiliary light (so-called “backlight”) from an auxiliary lamp onto a liquid crystal cell, so that an image can be confirmed by the light passing though the liquid crystal cell. The second type of liquid crystal display device does not include an auxiliary lamp. Light incident from the front surface of the liquid crystal cell passes (is transmitted) through the liquid crystal cell, is reflected off of a reflective film or the like provided at the rear surface of the liquid cell, and again passes through the liquid crystal cell, so that an image can be confirmed by the light passing through the liquid crystal cell. Or, the second type of liquid crystal display device may be structured such that exterior light is taken-in, and this intake light passes through the liquid crystal cell, so that an image can be confirmed by the light passing through the liquid crystal cell.
Because the second type of liquid crystal display device does not include an auxiliary lamp, little light passes through the liquid crystal cell, and it is difficult to confirm the image. In particular, when the amount of light which passes through the liquid crystal cell is extremely low, the image cannot be confirmed.
Thus, a third type of liquid crystal display device has been proposed which is structured such that a displayed image can be confirmed regardless of whether there is auxiliary light or not (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) Nos. 8-76104, 7-294896). This third type of liquid crystal display device combines the first type and the second type. Namely, in consideration of the fact that, in the second type of liquid crystal display device, it is difficult to confirm the image because the amount of light passing through the liquid crystal cell when there is no auxiliary light is low as described above, the third type of liquid crystal display device is structured such that exterior light incident from the front surface of the liquid crystal cell or the taken-in exterior light is supplemented by auxiliary light from an auxiliary lamp, so that the image can be confirmed.
However, in the third type of liquid crystal display device, because the auxiliary lamp is always lit when an image is confirmed, much electric power is used.
JP-A-10-98643 and JP-A-10-178566 each disclose a video camera having a function of displaying an image on a liquid crystal display device. These video cameras are provided with a power saving mode. In this power saving mode, image display on the liquid crystal display device is stopped (the backlight is turned off) in an attempt to cut down on the amount of power used.
However, in the above-described third type of liquid crystal display device, when the auxiliary lamp is turned off, there is little exterior light incident from the front surface of the liquid crystal cell or little intake exterior light, and thus, it is difficult to confirm the image.